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Thoughts on tillering

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Kidder:
I’ve been thinking through this for a while now and wanted to post up some thoughts on tillering. Well, it’s more like an often overlooked thought on tillering. What I mean by that is that when we talk about a tiller we are judging the final tiller or even tiller at a specific time in the process and saying “that’s a nice tiller” or “this tiller is unbalanced”. But what we never seem to talk about because it’s so difficult to judge is the quality of the “process”. I’ve come to believe that the perfection of the tiller is not just the final product but how you got there. For example you can have a perfect final tiller but if you spent your time chasing a hinge, the wood will show it with uneven set. I’ve also come to appreciate that the very early stages of tillering are often most crucial - establishing a good taper and even floor tiller and balanced limbs at first stringing are just as important or even more important than the last few scrapes. As is minimally stressing things until it’s as close to perfect as possible. If I look at two bows I’ve built in full draw pictures they might appear identical, but when they are unstrung I can tell the better bow based upon a better tillering “process” and what that has done to the bow to get there. Maybe this isn’t news to some of you, but it really does seem to be overlooked, at least in the literature and the chatter from the many of us. I’d welcome others thoughts on the topic.

Del the cat:
Hardly overlooked!
There are plenty of videos on my youtube channel (Del cat) showing the process and some where I deliberately start with a very uneven tiller, and slowly get it true.
There's even one called "Del's tedious tillering video"  >:D
We probably all have our own style to some extent. I tend to get some flex at the inner limbs and work out, I know some do the opposite. I get the outers moving a bit more as the tips are narrowed for horn nocks.
Del

Selfbowman:
Great topic! I to have tried starting at getting the inner limbs moving and the also starting the outer limbs first. I’ve had set happen in inner limbs and I have had set happen throughout the entire limb. I was told this set happening throughout the limb may be a sign of good tiller but bad bow design. But yes I agree a perfect full draw pic tells you nothing about how much or where there is set in a finished bow. I’m going to check out Dells info.

Selfbowman:
Del I noticed you don’t use a long string that hangs below the bow but is tight up against the bow at first of the tiller process. Also why the ring in the string. How do you center the ring as the tillering process goes. I have a good eye for even bending but must be over straining the wood at some point causing set. Most of my bows end up with 1-2” of set when shot in. That’s with 2-3” of reflex in the outer limbs.

superdav95:
So true kidder.  I think we don’t seem to talk as much on the process and maybe tend to focus on final tiller.  We will see pics posted here of mid way through sometimes for a “tiller check”   Often I will have set happen on wood that has little more retained moisture and will resort to heat to drive some of it out slowly.  Set may not always come down to less then perfect tiller methods.  It could also be attributed to the wood to some degree.  For the last little while I’ve been using the yard stick method in the early stages with long string on tiller tree.  It gives me a perfect profile early on balancing both halves of each limb and then against each other.  A mid limb pencil mark as a reference point as I look at the arc of that specific limbs bend.   I’ll use a depth measure at these marks and compare with both limbs to get a good start.  Can’t remember where I saw this now but remember liking the simplicity of it.  I’ll use this till low brace and move to my regular method up on my tiller rack on the wall.  I find that with this early focus helps me fight against my impatient nature and slow down.  The nice thing I like about doing it this way is it allows you to balance both inner and outer limb bend together through the process.  Not the only way to do it for sure but just another way.  Prior to this I did much like del does and left my outers stiffer till I got the inner bend a little.   This method works well too.  I preferred this method over the getting the outers bending early then working towards the inners.  I found the risk of whip tillering with working from outers toward inners.   Del I love your channel!  I know how obsessed you are with tiller and love your process.  I’ve learned a lot on your channel and often refer to it whenever I dig out a yew stave to work.  😄

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